PEORIA, Ill. — The Peoria Innovation Hub opened its doors Wednesday to show the community plans for what the facility will be.
Kip McCoy, Director of the Office of Innovation Management for OSF HealthCare, said they view the facility as an asset for the Peoria area.
“And, we really want to get feedback about what can we do that’s going to be of the most benefit for the local economy, for local entrepreneurs, local corporations, local non-profits,” McCoy said. “How can we bring people together in a meaningful way that’s going to be beneficial not only to them, but for the entire community.”
The Innovation Hub will be located at 201 SW Adams Street in Peoria, a building that was formerly used by Illinois Central College.
Science classroom, nursing classrooms, a dental school space, library stacks, and office spaces still reside in the building.
The space is intended to be a collaborative and open sharing environment.
“We want to make sure that we have a gathering spot where we can enhance those, maybe offer connections to corporations that startups might not have had before, that different community partners can come together in meaningful ways,” McCoy said.
The Innovation Hub will not only offer meeting spaces, but more to help out businesses and startups.
“There will be a makers space, so people can come together and use tools to create 3-D printed items, they can do some metal working, welding, those types of things,” McCoy said. “We view having a commercial kitchen as an opportunity as well. So, thinking about people who may want to start a restaurant.”
A total of $500 million dollars will be available for the entire Illinois innovation network.
That includes other innovative spaces and hubs throughout all of Illinois. Currently, there are 15 Innovation Hubs.
“We put in a grant application for $15 million last year. We have nothing that has been guaranteed, nothing that is coming our way at this point in time, but it is a multi million dollar project,” McCoy said.
The renovations that the space will receive are depending on how much funding the Innovation Hub gets, but McCoy said that ICC kept the building in good shape.
“Even if it’s less than what we have as an ideal state, there’s still a lot that we can do,” McCoy said.
McCoy said the hub is responsible for raising a match for what they ask the state for.
“So, between ICC, and OSF, and the EDC (Economic Development Center), and others we’ve come up with a local match,” he said.
At this time, there is not a set date for when the facility will be up and running, but McCoy said they are hopeful.
